The Northern Corridor Member States increased efforts in developing Port infrastructure in order to advance eco-efficient transport systems and improve the performance of the Northern Corridor. Those efforts include but not limited to the development of Port infrastructure, the ongoing studies as well as planned initiatives related to safety and improvement of navigability.

In Kenya, a Commercial Contract was signed on 24 March 2016 for the New Kisumu Port (600,000 tonnes). The Commercial Contract signed for the Expansion and modernisation of ICD in Nairobi (405,000 TEUs) was also signed on the same date.

Considering the importance of all these initiatives to improve the Ports and Inland waterways transport infrastructure, NCTTCA actively participates in activities related to the development of Port facilities at Mombasa, Kisumu, Port Bell, Bujumbura and Kisangani towards an integrated corridor program.

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is the primary inland waterway servicing both the central and northern corridors. Other inland waterways also provide a big investment potential for container-carrying vessels to service various inland port destinations on lakes Albert, Edward, Kivu, and Tanganyika, and the Kagera and Nile rivers.

Ferry services on Lake Victoria provide multimodal transport from Mombasa and Dar es Salaam through Kisumu and Mwanza ports respectively to Port Bell in Uganda.

Global Port Services Burundi (GPSB)

 In Burundi, the bulk of external trade (80 per cent) is routed through the Port of Bujumbura located at the northern tip of the Lake Tanganyika.

Built in 1959, the Port of Bujumbura was designed to handle a capacity of 200,000 tons but later expanded in the early 1990s. Since 25 December 2012, the Governement of Burundi granted a 30 year Management concession to Global Port Services Burundi (GPSB) with option to renew the contract for another 30 years.

Quay side facilities include;

• 220 m jetty including wharf for protection against waves and another for passenger’s ships berths.
• 330 m jetty to accommodate oil ships berthing.
• Main quay with 450 m length and 100 m width for loading and offloading conventional general cargo.
• A small terminal quay for containers and heavy parcels.

The current capacity of the port is 500,000 tons, more than twice the average traffic handled over the last ten years. 

The Port of Kisangani

The National Office of Transport (ONATRA) requires more than US$ 5 million to rehabilitate the port of Kisangani. This amount shall be used for the following activities:

• Fight against erosion
• Rehabilitation of warehouses
• Rehabilitation of the container terminal
• Purchasing of handling/lifting equipment

Improvement of inland waterways

There is an evident need to improve port facilities and aids to navigation on inland waterways within the Northern Corridor.

The East African Community is undertaking a project to improve navigation aids and environmental protection on Lake Victoria. Studies are also being carried out on maritime legislation, search and rescue, hydrology, and maritime meteorology.

There is also need to improve port facilities on the lake. The Great Lakes Railway project (rail and lake link from Zambia to Uganda) which includes ferry links over the lakes, if implemented, will require specific facilities